Monday, July 15, 2013

contrary to what many people
believe, not all people with depression look or act depressed. “masked depression” refers to depression
which is not apparent. It comes in the
forms of the following “depressive equivalents:”

- alcoholism: some alcoholics “drown” their sorrows
away. alcohol is actually a brain
depressant. hence, chronic alcohol use
can either cause major depression or exacerbate an already-existing depression.

- drug dependence: some drug dependents are actually trying to
self-medicate their depression with uppers.
unfortunately, uppers such as shabu or cocaine are addictive and can
cause psychosis.

- recklessness or impulsivity: the
“death wish” is manifested through carelessness (as in driving) or wild abandon
(as in death-defying sports or high-risk sex) which may result in fatal
mishaps.

- unhealthy lifestyles: some
habits or ways of living (e.g., unhealthy diets, cigarette smoking, sedentary
lifestyle, etc.) increase the risk of a shortened life span. In fact, some extreme forms of unhealthy
lifestyles are ways of committing “slow suicide.”

- “emo” culture: “emo” people have made a fad of their
depression. besides their trademark
looks, their other distinctive feature is self-cutting!

major depression is easily
treated with medication, psychotherapy, stress management techniques, and
wellness therapies. with proper
treatment, major depression usually resolves as early as 2-3 weeks. With this said, there really is much hope for
depressed people to live happy lives!